Annabel Crème and the Demon Sealer of Blytonbury
Geste is the seventh chapter of The Rise of Luna Nova Valkyries, the first story of Little Witch Academia: Witches of Midgard. Summary TBA Full Recap Rumors stated Annabel Crème, the author of popular historic fantasy novel Night Fall, is an alias of several writers who wrote the series over the years since 1890s and shared a common passion. It was from the said passion stories about love, thrills, and adventure were born. When the original Annabel passed away, her precious friend, a witch named Aisling, took her place as the second Annabel. However, for reasons unknown, Aisling mysteriously vanished along with her completed manuscript for the next Night Fall volume, but not before elected a successor who continued writing the series without it. Until this day, no one knows what happened to Aisling, only that her missing volume of Night Fall was rumored to be hidden somewhere in a derelict tower located on the outskirts Blytonbury. Some say you need Annabel's pen to help you finding the missing manuscript. Some say the tower was haunted by restless spirits hellbent in attacking anyone who dare to disturb the place. Some say— "There's an unpublished Night Fall volume in the old tower near the town?!", Lotte cried out excitedly so loud that she unwittingly startled the shopkeeper of Last Wednesday Society and the rest of the shop's patrons. "Lotte, don't make a scene! This is a serious matter", Barbara tried to ease her hysterical fellow Night Fall fan. "Right. Sorry, I can't help myself." Lotte and Barbara had arranged this meeting after the latter learned about rumors pertaining the missing manuscript of Night Fall that went viral among the fans of the novel series. Said manuscript was allegedly hidden somewhere in a derelict tower outside the town. To their pleasant surprise, they met Annabel Crème herself as she was discussing said rumors with the shop's proprietor. While it's implied that some of her fans begin to notice the truth about the author of Night Fall series through those rumors, they mostly focused on the lost manuscript. Intrigued by the rumors (as the missing manuscript might provide her additional writing materials), the current Annabel, Annabel Crème the 12th, set out to investigate. "As far as I can tell, the missing manuscript is likely there but, that's not it all. I figured out this Aisling once live in that tower along with her mentor and guardian Brendan as well", Annabel said. "Brendan? You mean Brendan the Wanderer?", the shopkeeper suddenly gasped. "You know him, sir?", Lotte asked. "There's no one in this town who don't know the tale about Brendan the Wanderer's generosity. Accompanied by his young apprentice Aisling, he helped those in need despite people gradually stopped believing in magic in the light of industrial revolution", the shopkeeper explained. "One of his remarkable feats was imprisoning a powerful demon that threatened the town, a demon which said to be accidently brought to our world through a summoning ritual that went wrong. It was through such courageous endeavor which earned him the moniker Demon Sealer, I think." "And to think that Aisling was his apprentice, I couldn't help admiring him", Annabel nodded. "It is said that after defeating the demon, Brendan and Aisling decided to settle near the town where they spent the remainder of their lives", the shopkeeper continued. "Together, the two built a tower that not only serve as their new home, but also to safeguard a secret that only the surrounding area knows." "A secret?", Barbara asked. "Something worth to looking for as much as that manuscript." Lotte, Annabel, and Barbara turn around, and see Newt standing near a cabinet full of exotic curios of the shop. "Pardon?", Annabel said. "Master Newt? What are you doing here?", Lotte gasped. "Sightseeing. Spending my whole time in my ship with little to no things to do proved to be boring", Newt explained before looking at the short yellow-haired girl. "And you must be Annabel Crème, I presumed?" "Yes but... who are you?", Annabel asked nervously. "Pardon my manners. My name is Newt Astriddotir, captain of Alioth. Just call me Captain Newt if you like", Newt holds her hand out for the young writer to shake. "It's not every day to see the famed author of Night Fall series herself in the flesh, is it? I found your latest volumes interesting, especially its space travel part." "Really? That's good to know. Not many of my fans like that part", Annabel said, relieved to see that there are indeed others who love it beside Lotte. "Master Newt, I didn't know you also read Night Fall series", Lotte said. "I checked it out a couple of weeks ago for a bit of light reading and got hooked ever since", Newt replied before turns on Annabel and said, "Annabel, have you ever considered having a beta reader? It's not that I questioning your talents but from what I can tell, you still a freshwoman when it comes about writing, which might explained why your direction leaves something to be desired. Besides, having a beta reader can help you improve your works and even win back your former fans." "Brilliant idea, Captain Newt. I'll be sure to make a note of it", Annabel said happily. "But right now, I wanted to go for Brendan's Tower to see whether Aisling's Nigh Fall manuscript is really there." Barbara and the shopkeeper gasped upon hearing the young writer's statement. "You really aren't going to that tower, don't you?", the shopkeeper said. "You can't do that! Didn't you just say that tower was haunted?", Barbara added. "I know, but I can't let someone get their hands on my predecessor's work. Besides, I wanted to know what exactly happened to her and Brendan. Why they just disappear like that?", Annabel argued. "Hang on a minute! I think the faerie in your pen has some answers", Lotte realizes before asks Annabel. "Annabel, can I borrow your fountain pen?" Giving the Finnish her pen, Annabel, Newt, and Barbara watch as Lotte sings a beautiful lullaby before the antique pen. As her lullaby comes to an end, the pen begins to engulf with a small burst of fire, which coalesce into an emerald, glowing spirit with a minuscule face complete with a brown, crude pipe in its mouth and a beret-like shape on top of its head. "Is that the spirit of Annabel's pen?", Barbara wondered. "So they do existed... I didn't know I have one in my pen all this time", Annabel said in absolute awe. "Faeries such as the one before you are born from objects that went past a hundred of years, a phenomenon which made possible by the presence of magic in this world", Newt explained. "As such, they possess a great knowledge of history pertaining old objects they inhabited. While it's widely known that witches and wizards can invoke and communicate with them through magic, witches in Finland, particularly Lotte's clan, Yanson Family, developed a song that can invoke them without the need of direct magic." "It's been a while, old friend. It's me, Lotte Yanson", Lotte greets. "Do you know what happened to Aisling, the one who continue writing Night Fall after original Annabel's passing?" The fountain pen faerie whispers something on Lotte's ears. Annabel and Barbara attempted to eavesdrop on the conversation only to hear seemingly nothing. "I can't hear anything", Barbara said. "Invoking a faery is not difficult. It's understanding their words that requires a greater depth", Newt explained. "I see. Thank you", Lotte nodded as the faerie retreated back into the pen as she explained. "Not good. It doesn't know. But listen, something awful happened to Aisling's mentor which prompted her to pass this pen to another writer. Around that time, she worked on a manuscript for her newest Night Fall volume but for one reason or another, she kept the unfinished manuscript for herself and hid it somewhere in her room. The only one who knew the manuscript's whereabouts beside the faerie in this pen was a Wind Faerie named Vindr, Aisling's familiar. But even he also disappeared." "Vindr?", Annabel wondered. "The Old Norse for wind. Sounds like you'll need help from this little guy to find that manuscript", Newt said before unexpectedly asked. "If that's the case, do you mind if I join you? I can't simply let you guys accompanying our young writer by herself. Besides, you got a spirit whisperer on your side." "Really? Thank you so much!", Annabel said excitedly. "You can't be serious. You have no idea what might happen", Barbara pleaded. "It'll be fine, Barbara. All we have to do is to get that manuscript for Annabel before someone else does", Lotte reassured before turned on Newt, "Am I right?" "Yes. Although, there's something that I'd like to make sure there", Newt nodded. ---- Brendan's Tower is a free-standing tower which serves as one of landmarks of Blytonbury, wider than Luna Nova's New Moon Tower but shorter than the latter (as it estimated only seven stories tall). Its origins can be traced back to the end of Golden Magic Age, where it was built by Brendan and his apprentice and foster daughter Aisling as their new home after spending most of their lives travel the world. The tower itself is simple yet imposing in design, adorned with a small number of windows each with a wooden covering, a battlement on the top, and a large wooden door. It was probably much more beautiful to look at in its time. But following its inhabitants' disappearance, the structure has fallen into a state of severe disrepair. Even though she wanted to accompany Lotte and Annabel searching Brendan's Tower for the missing manuscript of Night Fall and even having Newt tagging along with them, Barbara is still afraid. Part of her urged against approaching the tower due its reputation of being haunted and a strange feeling she can't explain the closer she get to the building. However, she has steeled her resolve to aid her fellow Night Fall fan and their idol, partly to make up with her past treatments on the former. She studied the tower from afar, but Newt takes the initiative circling the structure. She disappeared as she turned the corner and reappeared on the other side a few minutes later. "No sign of break-in by the looks of it", Newt reported. "This place is completely desolate." "H-hey, you saw that?", Annabel chimed as she pointed upwards. Lotte followed her finger and notices something peculiar; purple light shines through one of the windows. She takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes to be sure and quickly put them back on. After a while, the light dies out. There's no mistaking it. What was an unlit room a moment ago showed some signs of life. "Interesting", Newt commented. "This place has been abandoned for more than a century, yet it showed signs of being inhabited. Still… " "Should we check it out?", Lotte asked nervously. "Yes. But remember, stay close to me. You ready for this?" With that, the three girls nodded, and follow the Master Valkyrie as they are closing in for the tower. Instead of the front door, the group go for the back of the tower, at which Newt takes her time examining the building's surface until she found a brick which stands out from the rest due to the presence of a symbol engraved on it. Pressing the brick with an audible click, she takes a few steps away as the wall before them parts into a narrow passageway. "A secret passage? Awesome!", Lotte awed. "Agreed. This is the first time I see one myself", Annabel nodded in agreement. "Why didn't we go for the front door?", Barbara asked. "Towers like this one supposedly has a secret passage which serves as an emergency exit", Newt explained. "There's a chance that the front door is booby-trapped, and we can't simply take that risk. Besides, I doubt there's a human being still inhabiting this place. At least those who still alive." Looking closely at the brick Newt pressed earlier, Lotte feels a sense of déjà vu upon recognizing its symbol as a Celtic five-fold. However, she can't dwell in it for long, as she had to catch up with the others who already ventured inside the passageway. ---- Category:Fan Fictions Category:Series Category:Little Witch Academia: Witches of Midgard